Is It Good To Have Fiber Supplements Everyday

Do you know of anyone who is constipated continuously? Chances are that increasing the amount of fiber in the food would solve his or her constipation problems. Constipation is not the only problem solved by fiber as you can find out in some of the articles in this web site such as this or this one.

As popularity of the fiber increases day by day and the variety of fiber products which are available in the market increases more and more people are taking fiber supplements regularly. Many of them also take fiber almost everyday. The question is – Is it good for your health to take fiber supplements everyday?

The answer to this question may not be that straight forward.

Can You Take Fiber Supplements Everyday?

The reason more and more people are consuming more fiber supplements is because they do not take good amount of fiber containing foods in their normal diet. This deficiency causes many health problems. To overcome the fiber deficiency people take supplements such as Metamucil and Citrucel etc.

There are no studies which show that consumption of fiber is bad for health. When you take fiber supplements everyday it does fulfill your fiber requirements, but it also can cause some issues such as interfering with absorption of vitamins and minerals. Most times fiber supplements do not contain the minerals which you can get from foods. Sometimes fiber supplements can also reduce the absorption of certain medications, such as aspirin, warfarin (Coumadin) and carbamazepine (Carbatrol, Tegretol).

How To Get More Fiber

Here are some easy ways to get more fiber

Have a higher fiber cereal for breakfast — try to select one that contains at least 5 grams per serving.

Add beans to salad, or dine on a cup of chili for lunch. Each ½ cup of beans contains 3 to 4 grams of fiber.

Choose whole wheat bread, which has 2 grams of fiber per slice.

Munch on berries (one serving = ½ cup), pears (1 medium with skin), and oranges (1 medium). If you eat just two servings of these a day, you’ll add 7 to 8 grams of fiber.

Snack on popcorn (go for air-popped). You get 1 gram of fiber per cup (equal to about 2 to 3 handfuls).

Part of the benefit of getting fiber through food is that you will also take in the abundant vitamins, minerals, and plant chemicals (phytochemicals) that are present — you’ll get lots of important nutrients, such as vitamin A, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin C, vitamin E, chromium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc; also in these foods are disease fighting plant chemicals, such as anthocyanins, alpha and beta-carotene, isoflavonoids, and phytosterols, among others.

If you do take a fiber supplement, then you can take it around one to two hours before the meals so that it will not interfere with absorption of medicines or vitamins and at the same time you will get the benefits associated with fiber such reducing your appetite.